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Types of Cancer - Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a malignant (cancer) tumor that starts from cells of the breast.
Types of Cancer
What is Breast Cancer?
Cancer begins in the body's basic unit of life: the cell. Normal, healthy cells grow and divide to produce new cells only when the body needs them; cancer, however, occurs when cells continue to divide at an abnormal rate. When cells reproduce uncontrollably, they form a mass of tissue called a tumor. These tumors can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not cancer, can usually be removed, and do not metasize, or spread, to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors are composed of cancerous cells, and may spread to and damage other tissues and organs. Breast cancer occurs when a malignant tumor originates in the breast tissue. The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma. It begins in the lining of the ducts. Another type, called lobular carcinoma, arises in the lobules of the breasts.
Stages of Breast Cancer
The degree and severity of breast cancer is measured in stages based upon the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread. The breast cancer stage is the most important factor in deciding upon a course of treatment.
Stage 0
Also known as noninvasive carcinoma or carcinoma in situ, is the least severe stage of breast cancer. Stage 0 breast cancer can occur in either of two forms. Lobular carinoma in situ (LCIS) describes cancer situated in the lining of a lobule. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), also called intraductal carcinoma, denotes abnormal cells in the lining of a duct. Although these cells rarely become invasive cancer, they signal an increased risk for recurring breast cancer in both breasts.
Stages I and II
This is the early stages of breast cancer during which it has spread beyond the lobe or duct and invaded nearby tissue. Stage I tumors are no more than an inch in diameter and have not spread beyond the breast. Stage II tumors are of three types: less than an inch in diameter but spread behond the breast, between 1 and 2 inches and possibly spread, or larger than 2 inches but not yet spread.
Stage III
This stage denotes locally advanced cancer in which the tumor is large (over 2 inches in diameter) and spread to the underarm lymph; is extensive in the underarm lymph nodes; or has spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone or other tissues. Sometimes breasts in stage III look red and inflamed because the cancer cells have blocked the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast; this is known as inflammatory breast cancer.
Stage IV
In this stage the cancer becomes metastatic and has spread (or metastized) beyond the breast and underarm lymph nodes to other parts of the body. This stage is especially dangerous because even when a tumor in the breast seems to have been completely removed or destroyed, the disease sometimes returns because undetected cancer cells remained somewhere in the body after treatment. Most recurrences appear within the first 2 or 3 years after treatment, but breast cancer can recur many years later. Cancer that returns only in the area of the surgery is called a local recurrence. If the disease returns in another part of the body, the distant recurrence is called metastatic breast cancer.
Treatment
A woman's treatment options depend on a number of factors. These factors include her age and menopausal status; her general health; the size and location of the tumor and the stage of the cancer; the results of lab tests; and the size of her breast. Certain features of the tumor cells (such as whether they depend on hormones to grow) are also considered. In most cases, however, the most important factor is the stage of the disease.
Breast cancer may be treated with local or systemic therapy. Some patients have both kinds of treatment. Local therapy such as surgery or radiation therapy is used to remove or destroy breast cancer in a specific area. Systemic treatments work to destroy or control cancer throughout the body; chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and biological therapy are all examples of systemic treatments.
Surgery is the most common treatment for breast cancer, and there are several types of surgery. The doctor can explain each type, discuss and compare their benefits and risks, and describe how each will affect the patient's appearance. An operation to remove the cancer but not the breast is called breast-sparing surgery or breast-conserving surgery. Lumpectomy and segmental mastectomy (also called partial mastectomy) are types of breast-sparing surgery. After breast-sparing surgery, most women receive radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells that remain in the area. An operation to remove the breast (or as much of the breast as possible) is a mastectomy. Breast reconstruction is often an option at the same time as the mastectomy, or later on. In most cases, the surgeon also removes lymph nodes under the arm to help determine whether cancer cells have entered the lymphatic system. This is called an auxiliary lymph node dissection.
Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and biological therapy may be used in conjunction with surgery to either shrink the tumors before surgery or destroy any cancer which the surgery could not remove. For a general overview of these therapies, see Treatments.
Sometimes, a biopsy is done with a needle. Doctors use a special headframe (like a halo) and CT scans or MRI to pinpoint the exact location of the tumor. The surgeon makes a small hole in the skull and then guides a needle to the tumor. (Using this technique to do a biopsy or for treatment is called stereotaxis.)
Researchers are finding better ways to treat breast cancer, and the chances of recovery keep improving. Still, it is natural for patients and their families to be concerned about the future. There are many resources available both on and off the web for patients and their families. Links to some good websites can be found on our web resources page, or check out our recommended reading list for patients and their families.
Source: NCI Cancernet